What is your favourite Cuisine?

“I have lots of favourites” says Nancy. “But Southwest France, Moroccan, and Spanish are at the top of my list”.

What is your favourite cookbook?

La Varenne Pratique, by Anne Willan.

What’s the best part about teaching for you?

“The connection you make with the students. Exchanging conversations and thoughts about travel, food, life stories … I love it when a class grows into something more than just one class. For example, some students got inspired in one of my classes and now they are all taking a trip together to Burgundy”.

What’s your best cooking tip?

“When searing, make sure your pan is hot enough. Don’t be afraid to get it smoking hot!”

What chef influenced you the most?

“Ana Sortun, a chef from Boston, had the biggest impact on my career. Her restaurant, Oleana, is well known in the area and specializes in Turkish, Greek, and Mediterranean food”.

What is your culinary background?

“I helped open a restaurant in Concord, MA, as a pastry chef followed by a stint working for Ana Sortun at Aigo. In 1990, I traveled to France to study at La Varenne. When I returned to Portland, I was the opening pastry chef at Wildwood Restaurant. After the birth of my two daughters, I switched focus to teach cooking classes. I’ve been at In Good Taste Cooking School for six years now”. (Editor’s note: At In Good Taste, Nancy receives rave reviews from her many delighted students).

What food do you crave the most?

“It would have to be ice cream”.

What is the next cuisine you want to explore?

“Turkish cuisine, without a doubt”.

Away from the kitchen, what are your hobbies?

 “Gardening, pilates, biking, reading, and going to the beach with my family”.

What is the one tool you can’t live without?

“My balloon whisk and my tiny offset spatula for pastry making”.